1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-reflecting member attached to a carrying strap for portable electronic equipment that includes a light receiver (also referred as "photo detector device") and a light emitter and is provided with optical communications functions.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, portable electronic equipment having optical communications functions making use of infrared communications technologies and the like has been proposed. This type of portable electronic equipment, typified by portable game devices, allows a plurality of people who each own their own portable game device to exchange data among them, so that characters appearing in the game may be sent to the memory of another device, or game information may be exchanged so that games can be played in real time, along with other functions.
When portable electronic equipment is carried around at all times, the device is typically attached to a strap and hung from the neck or wrist of the owner. In this case, it is unavoidable that the posture of the equipment is much different depending on whether the portable electronic equipment is being used or being carried (when hanging from the neck or wrist or the like using a strap; the same applies hereafter in this specification.)
For example, when portable electronic equipment is being used, it is typically operated with the information display surface formed in the surface facing up. For this reason, if the portable electronic equipment is equipped with optical communications functions, the light receiver and the light emitter are provided at locations that face other equipment with which it communicates in the in-use posture, namely the top part of the equipment.
On the other hand, when the equipment is being carried by the user, although this depends on the location where the equipment is attached to the strap, it is not carried in the same posture as that when the equipment is in use, and it typically hangs down with the top part where the light receiver and the light emitter are provided pointing up.
Therefore, even if there is a transmission of data using the optical communications functions from other portable electronic equipment while the equipment is being carried, the light receiver is not facing other equipment with which it communicates, so the light beam cannot be received directly. Even if the light beam reflected by a wall or the like in the surroundings can be received, the intensity of the light beam will be greatly attenuated so that the usable range that the beam can reach would be shortened.
If a light receiver is also provided on parts that face other equipment with which it communicates, in the posture when the portable electronic equipment is being carried, this kind of communications interference will be eliminated. However, there is no denying that this would make the portable electronic equipment more complex and larger.